Meat curing device



Oct. 27, 1953 Filed Oct. 7, 1949 A. C. GANNON ET AL MEAT CURING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet l A. C. GANNON EI'AL MEAT CURING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 27, 1953 Filed Oct. 7, 1949 Patented Oct. 27, 1953 2,656,785 MEAT CURING DEVICE Alfred C. Gannon,

Kilby,

dianapolis, Ind., assig 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a meat curing device of the character for injecting a curingpickle brine into a slab of meat to be cured, such as a side of bacon.

It is the purpose of the invention to reduce the time required for the curing process of meats, and particularly bacon, by forcing a series of needles into the bacon bellies at numerous points forming a selected pattern throughout the belly so that the intervening area between the respective needles may receive the benefit of the pickling treatment. The amount of the pickle injected is determined by the weight of the meat to be cured.

The feature of the invention therefore resides in such a device foraccomplishing the above objective having a series of cylinders in communication with a pickle brine containing reservoir, each cylinder being provided with a suitable hollow injecting needle having spaced apertures therein, and plungers simultaneously movable in said cylinders to draw a, predetermined quantity of pickle from the reservoir into each cylinder on the suction stroke and force the pickle through the ports in the needle on the pressure stroke.

Another feature of the invention resides in the mounting of the plungers and the ported structure thereof for simultaneous movement on the suction stroke and pressure stroke, the ported structure being such as to develop a vacuum in the respective cylinders on the suction stroke, at the end of which the pickle will be drawn into said cylinders. At the beginning of the pressure stroke the ports in said pistons will be self sealing within the cylinders causing the applied pressure to eject the pickle through the needles.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a check valve between the discharge end of each cylinder and its needle to prevent suction through the needle into the cylinder during the suction stroke of the piston to thereby provide a vacuum seal.

Another feature of the invention resides in the spring pressed stripper plate surrounding the needles such as to limit the entry thereof into the meat to the prescribed depth, while stripping the meat from the needles under spring pressure when relieved.

Another feature of-the invention resides in the adjustmentfor limiting the pressure stroke of the plungers within the cylinders to thereby control the charge of pickle according to. the weight of the meat being cured.

Still a further feature of the invention resides in the bleeding ports communicating with certain of the outer cylinders to render them ineffective and thereby reduce the number of elfective cylinders according to the area of the meat to 'be treated.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following descriptionand claims.

Indianapolis, Cornelius E. Knightstown,

and Virgil R. Rupp, Innors to Kingan & 00., Incorporated, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application October 7, 1949, Serial No. 120,178

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through the device with the upper portion thereof broken away and parts shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with parts shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View through one of the needles and the vacuum check valve in the lower portion of one of the cylinders.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the vacuum check valve.

In the drawings there is shown a header in having a pickle brine containing reservoir ll. Said header includes a bottom casting l2 formed with a series of cylinders 13. Secured over the bottom casting and sealed thereon there is a cover casting M enclosing the reservoir. Movable within the reservoir there is a plunger plate I5 to which are secured a series of plungers l6. Each plunger is aligned with and extends into one of the cylinders [3 for reciprocal movement therein.

Brine is introduced into the reservoir H through the inlet connection l1, flowing through the reservoir and from the outlet connection I8. The flow of brine is preferably from a pump or suitable overhead container remaining open to the reservoir ll so that it is continuously filled and no air is permitted to enter.

Each of the pistons 16 is so arranged that its lower tip end extends into the cylinder l3 at all times, being surrounded by a packing ring [8 carried by an annular groove in the cylinder Wall. Each piston has a transverse bore 20 communicating with a centrally disposed port 2!. Said bore is located in the extreme end portion of the piston for communication with the reservoir II when the piston reaches the end of its suction stroke, but at the beginning of the pressure stroke it will be self-sealed by the cylinder wall and packing ring l9.

At the lower end of each cylinde and carried by the bottom casting l2 there is a nipple 22 internally beveled at its upper end 23. Threaded into the lower end of the nipple there is a needle head 24 having a pocket 25 in the upper end thereof. The needle 26 is secured to the head 24 to extend downwardly therefrom, being hollow but closed and pointed at its lower end, and provided with a series of discharge apertures 21. Slidably mounted within the nipple 22 between the needle head 24 and the beveled end 23 of the nipple there is a vacuum check valve 28 having a pocket 29 opposed to and in alignmerit with the pocket 25. Seated in said pockets 25 and 29 there is a compression spring 3!] urging said valve upwardly into sealing engagement with the beveled end 23 of the nipple. Said valve is formed with a conical head portion conforming to the end portion 23 and surrounded by a sealing ring 3!. The body of the valve is out of round being formed with a series of flats 32. Thus fluid may flow past the valve 28 when Below the body casting [2 of the header there is a stripper plate 33 having a series of openings: 34 through which the needles extend. Saidrplate is supported by mounting rods 35 slidable upe wardly within the recesses 36 provided. the" bottom casting, each rod has anlenlargedl head. 31 for limiting the downward movement" of the: stripper plate and preventing its droppingfrom. the header. At intervals said stripper plate" is provided with studs 38 each seating a compression spring 39 mounted in the recess 40 of the bottom casting. Thus the stripper plate is ur ed downwardly under spring tension to separateior strip the meat from theneedles' when the support for the meat. is withdrawn, on the header raised therefrom.

The cover casting I4 is provided with" criss cross reinforcing struts each'havinga boss 42. Slidable within the bearings 43 provided in said bosses thereare' connecting rods Mi The lower end of each connecting rod is" secured to" the plunger plate and the upper end thereof to the pressure head 4.5. The pressurehead is actuatedby a piston rod 4tv extending; into an air or hydraulic cylinder 41" carried by the uprightsifl'mounted onthe header l9. Through theusual hydraulic action which may be exerted on the header 45',the plunger: plate with its battery-of plungers is moved" up and down within the header H]. To adjustably limittheextent of the'stroke, andi thereby'control the' quantity of pickling brine discharged"intothe-meat, there is provided a' stop screw 49 having a. head. 50, with which thepres sure head 45- may engage to limit its downward pickle ejecting stroke.

Inoperation; the side of bacon or other meat to be cured, maybe placed upon a suitable-table orplatform adapted to be raised relative-tothe header and its needles until the needles-extend therein to within a short dist'anceof thei'ar side. On the other hand, the meat may be supported by a stationary tableor platform and the header brought down into needle penetrating position relative thereto;

At the beginning of the injecting cycle the plungers areat theirlowermost positions; Upon the meat being penetrated bythe needles; the" plungers are elevated by air or hydraulic pressure. springs 36' sealing the vacuum check valves 28. The suction stroke of the plungers thereby createsa vacuum due to the sealing action-of the rings. l9; Upon the bores of the plungers passing above: the cylinders the-vacuumis-thereby broken and the pickling brine within. the-reservoir. rushes; through the ports 2'! filling the cylinders. Thereeupon the air or hydraulic pressure is reversed to force the plungers on'their pressure stroke down-- wardly in the cylinders. As the bores 2.9 pass the sealing rings 19 the brine-is thereby sealed? in the cylinders and forced. downwardly; opening. the valves 23 against their springsr3fl forcing the brine through the discharge apertures; 21' of the: needles. This completes the cycl'e; the: plungers remaining in their lowered positions until. the. beginning of the next injectingoperation. The. supporting table. or platform. ior'the meatis then lowered whereupon the stripper. plate 33, under pressure or" its springs 39 stripsthe; meatLi-romi the needles. This same actionvvoul'doccurwhere+ in the meat may rest on. astationary support and the header raised therefrom.

By arranging a series of. bleeder ports St to. extend through thesidewalls of the bottom cast.- in'g. I? the. cylindersitozwhichzthey are: connected 4 may be bled oif through valves; 52? into; manifold- 53 through which thebri'ne forced out of said cylinders will be by-passed back to the supply container instead of being discharged througnthe needles. By means of this arrangement theouter seriesof cylinders may be rendered f. ineffective wherein the meat to be cured is. not of: suificient; area to receive the needles extending therefrom. Thus, differently sized operationsmay. beperformed by the same pickling device;

Thednvention claimed is:

1. A fluid control device including a housing enclosing a fiuid reservoir, a. cylinder having, a fiuidrecei'ving end and a discharge atthe opposite end, a normallyclosedvacuurn check valve".

in said discharge end; a plunger extending into said cylinder through said receiving end, said plunger havillga bore between its entering end and the a'djacentwall thereof, a sealing ri'ng 'in saiclcyli'nder adjacent its fluid receiving endin sealingcontact with said plunger, power means connected with said plunger for moving it througha suction stroke to draw a vacuum in said cylinder and admit fiuid thereto upon said bore being-freed from saidsealing ring, and moving it'through a pressure stroke-toiorce the fluid from said cylinder through said check valve when sealed by; saidring; and means for adjustingthe pressure stroke of said plunger.

2". A meat curing device comprising a header having a reservoir for containing a pickling brine, a series of injecting needles extending fromsaid headerad'apted to be f'orced intothemeat to be cured; said series of needles being substantially co-extensive therewith, a series of cylinders in said header each; connected with one of saidneedles, a plunger operative in each cylinder andhaving' a port therein, power means for reciprocatingsaid plungers in unison to expose said ports andpermit thebrine to enter saidcylinders from said-reservoir and be forced therefrom through-said needles, aseries of outer cylinders; and a series of by-pass channelscommuni eatingwith' said header cylinders-and said outer" cylinders for relieving said header cylinders from brine to-reducethe-areaof effective cylinders and needles.

C. GANNON'. CQRNELIU S E. V KILBYZ VIRGIL- R2. RUPP.

References Cited in. the file of this patent.

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312.6% Merrell- Feb. 24,1885 751,555 Prescott Feb. 9; 1904- 982,601:- Hardy Jan. 24,1911

1,126,579 Servatius Jan. 26,- 1915 1,192,596 Albrecht July-2513,1916 1;2'7.1A90* Servatius July 2,, 1918 1,787,900: Goff Jam 6, 1931 1,918,118: Marzocchi .July-11', 1933: 2,346,953." Walter: Apr: 18; 1944 2,466,772 Kenyon.- Apr..12, 1949: 256050.60; Zwosta July 10', 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number- Country Date.

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